Goal: to read 20 chapters from either of the 5 books I‘m reading combined.
20 hours is daunting but I‘ll try 6-10h, somewhere along that line.
Hoping to get past my reading slump and get into mockingjay or a cozy mystery by the end 😁
pickHey everyone. Life caught up, and I was too busy. But it‘s great to be back! I hope to be more consistent. This was a good book. Hopefully it‘s the end of the series but I can see the book having another mystery to look forward to.
Rating: 4/5
@bree.v08 just gave me the best news ever! Once upon a broken heart is getting a THIRD BOOK! 🥳🥳
I was so excited….giddy with happinesss!
…..until I realized I have to wait a whole year to see what happens to EvaJacks…..
so-soPerhaps the most fun thing about reading this book #chapteraday for #pemberlittens was making the memes! ??
This was my first time reading this classic and my second book by a Brontë sister (the other one was Wuthering Heights). The sisters seem to have a taste for the supernatural and sick romance. The plot was well written, despite the love interests.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 3.5/5
Chapter 37:
Reader, we‘re almost done….and so the lovers unite!
Rochestor is half blind and lost an arm. Probably a harsh thing to say but his suffering brought out the good in him. He mentions how he searched for Jane in vain, but the best part (for me at least) was when they perceived they could hear each other miles apart.
Flawed as they are, that‘s some type of love people only dream to have Definitely a wholesome chapter🥰
#pemberlittens
Chapter 35:
We‘re almost done guys!
St. John‘s angry with Jane after her refusal. He‘s still under the impression that she WILL marry him. Seriously, the dude can‘t take no for an answer. 😓
Jane admits she still has feelings for Rochestor, to which John says she‘s falling into temptation. 🙄🤣Everyone in the room knows he isn‘t a saint, yet he thinks himself one. He needs to get off his high horse asap.
#pemberlittens
Chapter 33:
What a plot twist….I knew that paper St. John took would lead to something. Jane‘s past has been discovered and she can‘t deny it. Turns out the Rivers are Jane‘s family on their mother‘s side! Lucky coincidence?
Jane‘s uncle dies, leaving her with 20k which she stubbornly decides to share with her newfound family. Do you think they would‘ve done they same for her? (I highly doubt that)
Still no news on Rochestor👀
#pemberlittens
Chapter 31:
Our heroine begins anew a second time. She accepts a humble job as a school teacher in the village. Her first day was quite lonely. She rethinks her choice with Rochestor.
Then St. John comes to talk. Here we‘re introduced to a new character, Rosamund Oliver. She's described to be uniquely blest with both money and natural beauty! And guess who‘s clearly got eyes for her but isn‘t showing it? 👀😍 (ahem St. John ahem)
#pemberlittens
Chapter 29:
Jane finally finds a temporary abode in the Moor House. Diana and Mary welcomes and takes care of her. St. John‘s “charitable”, albeit stern for a 28 year old. I guess being a parson requires a certain level of maturity. Jane hopes to find a job soon and be away so as to not impose herself too much on them. St. John‘s only happy to help her out (seems so) while his sisters want to dote on her like a “half frozen bird.”
#pemberlittens
Chapter 27:
Jane is in quite a blunder. Rochester gives a -detailed- explanation about his past. He even asks Jane to be his mistress!
Jane declines him even though it was extremely hard. Her strong moral values wouldn‘t allow her. (I love a female protagonist who‘s sure of herself) She jumps on a passing by carriage and gets the heck outta there. Bye Felicia (in this case, Rochestor) 😂💯
#pemberlittens
Chapter 25:
🎶wedding bells are ringing in the distance🎶 Only a day left for the big day.
Rochester is away on business and Jane awaits him because she had a dreadful nightmare. Later when he arrives, she explains everything in detail.
I want to know too! Who was in her room? Who tore her veil in half? Did it really happen? (It seems so)
But all the signs are pointing to one big message, Jane and Rochester aren‘t meant to be 😪
#pemberlittens
Chapter 23:
Sorry friends, I was out and I spaced out. So here we are, Rochester recommends a job for Jane in Ireland. Which makes Jane, in a very “untraditional” way, put her feelings out there first. This then makes Rochester confess his feelings for her. Also, let‘s take a moment to focus on Rochester. The dude has NO SOCIAL CUES. Courting Miss Ingram was his -master plan- on making Jane jealous. In what world is that romantic?
#pemberlittens
Chapter 21:
Long lost relations search for Jane. John Reed is dead and as a consequent shock, Mrs. Reed has a stroke. Jane returns to Gateshead and meets her cousins after almost a decade, both of whom aren‘t excited to see her.
Jane learns that her uncle John from Madeira has left her all that he owns, which means she‘s now rich🤑 (Wonder what Rochester will make of that? No “conventional impediment” could stop him now 😂)
#pemberlittens
Chapter 19:
Apparently our gypsy friend turned out be (surprise!) Rochester himself. I was NOT expecting that. People really had nothing to do back in the day 🤣 He interrogates Jane as the “old lady” on her dreams, himself and “reads her face” to tell her fortune. Imo he‘s finding excuses to get close to Jane. 🤦🏽♀️🤣
We‘re also introduced to a new guest, ~Mr.Mason-from Jamaica~, who‘s mere name frazzles Rochester.
#pemberlittens
Chapter 17:
Jane is falling in 💕love💕 even though she tried so hard to keep her feelings in check. After the whole “fire in bedroom” fiasco, Jane doesn‘t know where they stand.
Grace Poole is definitely hiding something.
Thornfield‘s got guests over and the curious “Miss Ingram.” I‘m curious too 👀
Where does Rochester stand? He definitely was about to say SOMETHING in the last line of this chapter, what was it?!? 😭🥺
#pemberlittens
Chapter 15:
What a ✨dramatic✨chapter! To recap, Mr. Rochester (what‘s his first name?) confides in Jane the secret of his ward/ illegitimate child. He fell in love with an opera singer who broke his heart. Jane wonders why he tells her this. (Really?)
Next thing you know, someone set his room on fire and Jane (strong feminine character💪🏽😤) saves his life! *swoon*
Is there paranormal activity or is there a person behind this??
#pemberlittens
Chapter 13:
I‘m loving this chapter 😂 Mr. Rochester is recovering from his fall. He “interviews” Jane on her past and her many skills, or a lack of them. He says and I quote, “You have lived the life of a nun.”
He could barely look at her when she entered the room and then compliments her “otherworldly” looks, which he then claims was the reason for his fall. 🤦🏽♀️ Nice flirting, not! 🤣
#pemberlittens
Chapter 11:
Things finally seem to be turning right for Jane. She leaves her job as a teacher to find adventure elsewhere. She finds a suitable position in Thornfield as a governess for Adéle, a smart girl, who speaks French. ? Also, we‘re introduced to a Mr. Rochester ? and Mrs. Fairfax (lovely old lady)
To help others out (as in me ?), anyone here speaks French? Maybe you could help translate those lines in the comments??
#pemberlittens
Chapter 9:
Today‘s chapter was a tear-jerker. As spring comes, the school is infected with typhoid. Almost half the girls falls sick, while the other half gets an excuse to bunk school.
Helen gets worse and Jane gets to say a bittersweet goodbye.
Sometimes death seems scary and unprecedented but Helen‘s disposition is something to learn from. Ngl she was my favorite character 😭😭
#pemberlittens
Chapter 7:
As if our poor Jane hasn‘t gone through enough already! Now she has to deal with hunger, rules and humiliation at the hands of Mr. Brocklehurst 🤦🏽♀️🙈 Let‘s also take a moment to notice him checking in on the essential items, and being okay with starving the girls because of their status 🙄 The next few chapters don‘t promise anything good for Jane either. But fingers crossed it does 🤞🏽
Chapter 5:
Jane gets a telling off by Mr. Brocklehurst, a clergyman. In turn, Jane tells off Mrs. Reed. 😂
She‘s sent alone to a school for charity cases, where everything seems very strict and orderly. Miss Temple seems like the kind hearted teacher that all students love. She gives the students a treat for lunch when they got burnt porridge for breakfast.
I‘m no cook, but I‘d like to know how do you burn porridge when you don‘t have phones?🤔
Chapter 3:
Jane faints at the sight of “Mr. Reed‘s ghost” and wakes up in the arms of Mr. Lloyd, Jane‘s personal savior. He plans with Mrs. Reed to send her to school, who‘s happy with the good riddance.
Bessie‘s a nice companion, singing all day and giving Jane tarts in the best, forbidden china.
Do you have china reserved for guests that is forbidden to use otherwise in your house? Mine does, so I was happy for Jane in that😂
#pemberlittens
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
I was too excited for this that I probably got my hopes up a bit too high. I loved it but I also wish there was more.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 3/5
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
This is a biography of a 16th century saint. He‘s the patron of healthcare workers, the sick and hospitals. His life is a testament to how it‘s never too late to embark on a dream and how even the worst of us can change, find faith and begin again.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 5/5
Chapter 1:
We‘re introduced to Mrs. Reed, her three children (Eliza, John and Georgiana), and Jane. Not sure how she‘s related to them but the poor girl is mistreated and abused. I never expected classics to mention something such as domestic violence right off the bat.
On another note, “Master Reed” reminds me of Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, who‘s been taken home from school on account of his “delicate health”. 🙄
panAugust recap in book reviews:
Long story short, even Belly (the protagonist) has no idea what she wants. The end.
Thank you, next
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
This is the second book in the caraval series and focuses on the pov of Donatella. It was refreshing to read a new perspective but Scarlett‘s pretty much in the background for this one and I did miss her.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 4/5
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
What a plot! This book is a series of letters written in the perspective of a demon to his nephew on how to manipulate the human mind. CS Lewis had a very big and creative imagination.
Rating: 5/5
so-soAugust recap in book reviews:
This one was a bit of a heartbreaker, especially with the situation of Susanna.
I really felt bad for the boys but Belly…ah Belly. She‘s one big personality. I stick by what I said earlier. She‘s the most insecure and selfish character I‘ve ever encountered.
Contd in comments⬇️
Rating: 3/5
so-soAugust recap in book reviews:
I‘ll be honest, I started reading this book because of the new series out on Amazon and also because it‘s JENNY HAN!
And that‘s where my admiration for this series ends.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 3/5
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
The synopsis of this book had me hooked. It‘s about a magical game held by a very mysterious game master named Legend. The story follows two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, who wanting to escape their abusive father sends Legend a series of letters. The only thing is Donatella gets kidnapped which sends Scarlett on an adventure to win the game to find her sister.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 5/5
pickAugust recap in book reviews:
This is a must read for anybody. For someone who chose a celibate life, St. John Paul II had some profound wisdom on the human body and the significance of it. I was mind blown by this catholic perspective that it changed a lot of the beliefs I previously held.
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 5/5
#pemberlittens
This is a warm up post leading to September 1st! 🥳
I‘m so excited to co-host the September/October read along with @Graciouswarriorprincess and @BarkingMadRun 🥰
We‘re reading Jane Eyre a chapter-a-day.I‘ll be posting daily chapter summaries along with the ladies tagged above. If you‘re a first time reader like me or want to reread this again, let me know in the comments below and I‘ll make sure to tag you in our daily posts.
bailedSorry #pemberlittens this book just wasn‘t it. I mostly stay away from Austen reimaginations because they either stray away from the plot or modernize it too much that it barely fits the time.
This was the latter.
I liked the plot line but i couldn‘t stand the pace. Also as i read further, Sarah just got on my nerves. She‘s whiny and extremely impulsive. Not my cup of tea.
Rating: 2/5
pickSomething speaks about Jane Austen‘s talent and it astounds me every time, how she‘s remembered even after an entire century. This book is a testament to that.
It needed some getting used to but once I started I couldn‘t stop! This entire novel is a collection of correspondences between people. The plot becomes clear as we read these letters.
( contd in comments …⬇️)
pickThis is a collection of short stories for all S&B fans. It‘s completely unrelated to the plot though, since it‘s a bunch of tales from the S&B world that parents would probably tell their kids as bedtime stories.
I love the author‘s creativity and her imagination. Some of them are classic fairytales that we know which she reimagined.
(Contd in comments….⬇️)
pickThis is a reimagined story of the 12 dancing princesses. Growing up, this was my all time favorite Barbie movie so imagine my surprise when I came across this book! I had to jump right in!
Even though most reviews say it wasn‘t a favorite, I loved reading it. There were some parts that dragged a bit for my liking but I like the plot and the sisterly bonding between the princesses.
(Contd in comments ⬇️)
pickThis book was everything. Best read in contemplation, the author‘s writing was simple yet, every sentence had something to unpack.
I left reading this book with much understanding of my faith and a picture of God the Father that I never knew before.
I highly recommend it!
Rating: 5/5
pickThis was my second time doing this retreat and it was even better than the first.
Long story short, my youth minister had given it to me almost 5 years ago but I never got to reading it. Tbh I was afraid of what I was getting myself into. After 5 years of avoiding it, I did it! And what a gift to entrust myself in the care of a mother who loves me! Loves ME?!?
Contd in comments ⬇️
Rating: 5/5
pickHands down one of the best books I‘ve read so far! The plot? Brilliant! The characters? Fantastic!
It was like I was watching pretty little liars in my head. I‘m a sucker for murder mysteries and this had me on edge at every single page.
I highly recommend it!
Rating: 4/5
so-soIn short, this is a sci-fi loaded with all things abnormal, plus a twisted ending.
It wasn‘t my favorite but it definitely was interesting. I loved the particular futuristic developments in terms of transport and mode of communication. The ending got me! I had no idea a plot could have a plot within another plot, that it‘s almost a never ending wormhole. Kudos to the author for such creativity.
Book rating: 3/5
pickThis book had a good mix of everything, murder, romance and comedy. It‘s hard to pick a favorite scene but the murder scene was my epic.
The aunties had me laughing crazy. Being a south Asian myself, I found the scenario very relatable. 😂😂
What a genius plot!
Book rating: 4/5
Possibly my favorite quote of all time!
“He smiled to think of it, the ways in which he would mess this whole thing up. It was inevitable, wasn‘t it? The small mistakes and heartbreaks of guiding a life? His mother had screwed up almost as much as she‘d succeeded. But the one thing he knew in his bones was that he would not leave.”
“They had taught her that family is found, that whether it be blood or circumstance or choice, what binds us does not matter. All that matters is that we are bound.”
“Capable is a question I never had the luxury of asking. Because my family needed me.”
“But we have integrity. We know something about loyalty. We are there for each other”
“And he briefly considered that maybe that had been the problem all along: that he spent so much time feeling foolish instead of just letting go and risking looking like a fool. ”
“She knew that she could not sustain her life fueled only by the memories of those she once loved. Loss would not propel her forward. She had to go out and live. She had to find new people.”
Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book:
“But a good life is knowing people care about you, knowing you can take care of the people that count on you, knowing you‘re doing a little something in your community.”
“The world seemed no more manageable to her today than it had yesterday. Only a little less unpredictable”
Excerpt From
Malibu Rising: A Novel
PS. I‘ll be sharing a couple more :)
bailedAlrighty where do I begin? I read this book halfway (chapter 34) and gave up because I couldn‘t get past the ridiculousness of the plot. (Which fyi hasn‘t even begun yet!)
Definitely a wattpad cringe- fest of Twilight, with EXTRA angst and a sprinkle of intense steamy romance. (there has been zero physical contact till as far as I read and yet sooo steamy 😂) This is yet another overhyped vampire trope.
Rating 2/5 (for the twilight reference)
pickMalibu rising is the story of a broken family. A family who learned to survive despite the struggles they faced. It‘s about the bond between siblings.
Although it ended up being a bit anticlimactic.
Also I don‘t understand the need for so many plot lines for the sub characters which got me confused.
I would have loved just sticking to the main characters story without all the digressing.
But I definitely loved reading this!
Rating: 3.5/ 5
